Braiding carrier



Jan. 14, 1930. A. K. swoRTzEL 1,743,501

BRAIDING CARRIER Filed Dec. 14. 1925 2 Sheets-snee: 1

F/G I FUE 2,

3% few Patented Jan. 14, 1930 UNITED STATS AUGUSTUS K. SWORTZEL, OIF AKRON, OHIO Y IBRAIDING CARRIER Application led December 14, 1925. Serial No. 75,204.

This invention relates to new and novel improvements in braiding carriers and other devices in which a rot-atably mounted feed spool is employed.

5 Objects of the invention, broadly stated, are to provide a spool carriage of simple, durable construction, which may be manufactured at a low cost and which in use will provide eiiicient means for holding a spool 1G whereby a supply of wire or other flexible material wound thereon may be drawn forwardly at an even tension.

A particular object is to provide a spool carriage having incorporated therein new and improved braking means which will operate automatically to restrain a free unwinding movement of the spool and which may be quickly and conveniently adjusted to exert a predetermined axially directed pressure on said spool and further to provide spring controlled means operated by the pull of the wire or other material as it is unwound from the spools and fed to the work.

An additional object is to provide a spool carriage having new and improved tension means which will operate accurately and uniformly during a rapid shifting movement of the carriage.

A further object is to provide a shiftable spool carriage having new and improved means for detachably securing a spool thereto whereby a spool may be quickly and conveniently removed or replaced when desired.

A still further object is to provide a spool carriage of the type above indicated which is composed of separable parts detachably secured in assembled relation whereby a defective or broken part may be quickly and conveniently removed and replaced.

The above objects are accomplished and other obvious advantages obtained by the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the accompanying drawing wherein I have shown one form of the invention, it being understood that the inx vention may be applied in various ways to devices of the character herein described and that changes and modifications may be made or resort had to substitutions which come within the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

In the drawings which form a part hereof like characters of reference are employed to denote like parts asthe lsamejmay appear in any of the several views and in which Y Figure l is a side elevational view of a spool carriage constructed in accordance with this invention.

Figure 2 is a. front, elevational view of same showing the same with an empty spool, with the spool brakes in a locked position.

Figure 3 is a horizontal cross sectional view taken as indicated by the lines 3-3 of Figure l.

Figure l is a front elevational view taken with the tensioning device in an upward or operative position.

Figure 5 is a vertical, sectional view taken as indicated by the lines 5-5 of Figure l.

Figure 6 is a horizontal7 sectional view taken as indicated by the line 6-6 of Figure 1. j

Proceeding now to a detailed description of the invention with reference to the particular adaptation thereof disclosed in the drawings, the numeral 5 is used to denote a base plate which is provided on the lower side thereof with an elongated tongue 6 which is adapted to travel in a serpentine race-way of a braiding machine.

The numeral 7 denotes al bottom guide plate which is held in parallel spaced relation to the plate 5 by means of the tongue 6 which is inserted therebetween. meral 8 denotes a lug which issecured to the lower face of the guide plate 7 for the purpose of engaging means for driving the carriage through the raceway.

The base plate 5 is provided on the upper side thereof with two spaced lugs 9. The numerals l0 and 1l are used to denote the side members, each of which is secured to the base plate 5 by means of the bolt l2 or other suitable fastening means. The side members l0 and 11 extend upwardly in Varallel spaced relation and are connecte at The nuvided at points adjacent the forward end thereof with spaced lugs 15 and 16 which project upwardly from the upper face thereof, each of said lugs are provided on the upper face thereof with a suitable bore and one of the vertical rods 17 is `mounted in each of said bores. The rods 17 extend Yupwardly and are secured to the topmember 13 by means of the nuts 18 and 19. The said member 10 is provided with an enlarged portionV l()a at a point intermediate its height and the side member 11 is likewise provided with an enlarged .portion 11a. The enlarged portions 10a and 11L are provided with axially alined bores, the bore in the portion 11a being denoted by the reference character 11b and the bore in the enlarged portion 10VA being denoted by the reference character 10b. countersunk to providea squared recess 10c for the squared head of the bolt 20l which is positioned through the bores 10b and 11b to support the spool 21 vwhich is'rotatablyl mounted thereon.` The recess 1()c is of sufupper end thereof with a forward ficient depth to accommodate the head 20L of V the bolt 20 whereby the head 20' of the bolt 20 will be flush with the outer face of the same member v10. The numeral 22 denotes a swinging member which is pivoted to the side member 1() as at 23, whereby it may be swung over the head 20a of the bolt 2() to retain said bolt in an operative position. It will thus be seen that the bolt 2O will be securely held in position without the aid of cotter pins, nuts or otherfastening means and thatthe spool 21 may be quickly removed and" replaced.' TheV numeral 23a denotes a spring which is secured to the swinging member 22 and to a lug 10e to normally retain theswinging memberfrom thejhead-of the bolt 20.

By reference tothe drawings,'it will be noted that the main, portion of the side members 10 and 11 are vertical andthat the Vupper ends of said side portions are inclined yforwardly whereby the top member 13 is positioned abovev the forward portionV of the basel plate 5.V

Each of the side members 10 and 11 is provided at points above and below the en largedportion 1()a and 11TL with a pair of Vspaced forwardly projecting ears 24. The

numeral 25denotes an arcuate braking member having each end positioned between the forwardly projecting ears 24 and hingedly connected thereto by means of the bolt or pin 26 which isV positioned throughY a bore eX- tending through said ears 24 and through the ends of the arcuate member 25. The varc-l uate member 25 is provided adjacent the y project- The bore 10b. is

member 25 is provided with a brake lining 28 which bears against the axial surface of the spool flange 21a. A brake member 25 is thus hinged to each of the side members 10 and 11 for movement on a Vertical axis whereby a movement ofthe arms 27 toward each other will bear against spool flanges 21a and cause a Vbraking action which will retard the free movement of the spool 21.

The numeral 29 denotes a spring having one end secured to one-of the arms 27 and the other end adjustably secured to the other arm 27, wherebyVV the arms 27 are normally held in an inward or braking position.

' While the spring 29 is preferably positioned with openings or bores 30 in which* is mounted a headed rod 31. The rod 31 is preferably secured to one of the side members 27 with the other side member slidably mounted thereon and is intended to prevent the arms 27 from swinging outwardlyv should the spring 29 become broken orfotherwise detached. 'V

The numeral 32 isused to denote a mem'- ber which is slidably mounted on the rod V17. The member 32 is provided with suitable bores 33 in which said rods are received. rfhe lower portion of the member 32 is provided at the lower end thereof and on each lateral side thereof with an outwardly projecting lug 34 for the purpose of engaging the stop mechanismV (not shown) of a braiding machine. The member 32 is provided with a centrally positioned opening 35 which extends therein from the upper edge thereof and in which is rotatably mounted the sheave 36.V The member 32 is provided at the upper end thereof and on each lateral side thereof'with a laterally presented wedge portionk 32a. The lateral faces of they wedge portions 32a converge upwardly whereby an upwardmovementof and is positioned in operative alinement with the sheave 36.

In use, the spool 21 is filled with wire or other flexible material. Y swung away from the recess 10. The'bolt 2() is removed and the spool 21 is placedvin position. The bolt 20 is then placed through Each of the arms 27 are Y TheV Vmember 22V is Y the openings l()b and 11b and through axial hole in the spool and the member 22 released to hold it in position. One end of the wire is placed under and in operative contact with the sheave 36 and is extended upwardly through the opening in the eye 38. As the spring 29 operates to hold the brake members 25 against each flange 21a of the spool 21, the spool 21 will be held against rotary movement and a pull exerted on the wire 39 will raise the member 32 until the converging lateral edges of the wedge meinbers 32a engage the arms 27 A further pull on the wire 39 will cause the members 32fL to wedge the arms 27 laterally apart and will release the pressure of the brake mein bers 25 on the flanges 21a of the spool 21. As soon as this pressure is relieved, the spool will rotate more freely, thus relieving the pull on the wire 39 and permitting a downward movement on the member 32 which will again cause an inward movement of the arms 27 and cause the members 25 to exert a braking action on the spool 21.

It will thus be seen that in operation, the wire 39 will be subject to an even tension regardless of the shifting movement of the spool carriage. This tension can be regulated by operating the screw 40 to regulate the tension of the spring 29.

Having thus illustrated my invention and described the saine in detail, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a carrier for braiding machines, a frame, means to rotatably mount a spool thereon, a brake adapted to frictionally engage the axial face of said spool, yieldable means normally holding said brake in an operative position, brake releasing means slidably mounted on said frame, a spring normally holding said releasing 'means in an inoperative position, said releasing means arranged to receive a flexible member wound on said spool whereby the flexible member when subjected to a certain pull will overcome said spring and release said brake.

2. In a carrier for braiding machines, a frame including a base member and two side members, means to detachably and rotatably mount a spool between said side members, a brake member hingedly connected to each side member for swinging movement to and from the axial end of a spool mounted on said frame, a spring connecting said brake members and normally holding the same in forced engagement with the end of the spool, a wedge-member slidably mounted on said frame, said wedge-member adapted to be moved between said side members to swing the same laterally apart and release the pressure on said spool, a spring normally holding said wedge member in an inoperative position, means associated with said wedge-member to engage a flexible member wound on said spool and extending Y therefrom, said means arranged to overcome the action of said spring and move said wedge member into operative relation between said brake members when the flexible member is subjected to a certain pull.

3. A spool carrier comprising a frame including a base member, two side members and a top member, means to detachably and rotatably mount a spool between said side members, an arcuate brake member hingedly connected to each side member for swinging movement to and from the axial end of a spool mounted on said frame, an adjustable spring connecting said arcuate members and normally holding the same in forced frictional contact with the axial end of said spool; a wedge member slidably mounted on said frame and movable into an operative position'between said arcuate members to swing the same laterally apart and relieve the pressure on said spool; a sheave mounted on said wedge member, an eye on said top member, a spring normally,` holding said wedge member in a downward position, said sheave adapted to receive a flexible member from a spool mounted on said frame, said eye adapted to receive said flexible member extending from said spool around said sheave whereby a pull exerted on said liexible member will compress said second mentioned spring and raise said wedge member and move the same into an operative relation between said arcuate members.

4. In a spool carrier, a frame including a base member and two side members, means to detachably and rotatably mount a spool between said side members, a brake member hingedly connected to each side member for swinging movement to and from the axialV end of a spool mounted on said frame, a spring connecting said brake members and normally holding the same in forced engagement with the end of the spool, a memn ber slidably mounted on said frame, said member adapted to be moved between said side members to swing the same laterally apart, a spring normally holding said member in an inoperative position, said member adapted to receive a flexible member wound on said spool whereby said member will be moved into an operative position by a pull on said flexible member.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

AUGUSTUS K. SVVORTZEL. 

